Amusement device.



PATENTED Nov. 5, 1907.

HEBT 1.

2 SHEET J W BOURKE AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. a, 1906.

INVENTOH, Jahn WLBOuJ'iEC, B Y

THE "cams szrzns ca, WASHINGTON. n. c.

PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

7 J. w. BOURKE. AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION P ILED DBO. 8, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I N VE N TOR Jhn WjBozqrka ATTOFNE Y w WITNESSES JOHN W. BOURKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed December 8. 1906. Serial No. 3%,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. BOURKE, a citizen of the United States residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly to that class commonly called autowhirls and is intended to provide safety means for the car as it moves downward upon the track and also elevating means to carry the car to the top of the track, these and other details will be more fully described in the following specification, set forth in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings where like reference characters are used to designate the same parts of the various figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the structure embraced in my improved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified means for carrying the car to the top of the structure. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the car. Fig. 4 is a view showing the means for holding the car on the safety rail.

In the construction of this device I employ a number of uprights 10 which are built in a funnel shape structure and braced at the upper ends by means of a platform 11 and at the lower ends by means of a base 12 supported by means of pedestals 13 so as to leave an open space beneath the structure for the cars to leave the same.

The track 14 starts on the platform 11 at the top of the structure and continues around the interior of the funnel shaped interior of the device and as it proceeds towards the bottom of the same where the velocity of the carincreases as it descends towards the bottom, the track is inclined from the horizontal and assumes an almost vertical position towards the bottom of the structu e and again immediately takes a horizontal when it leaves the same at the bottom. This is to provide for the centrifugal action of the car when as it descends and as the speed increases the outward tendency increases and consequently it is necessary that the car should firmly be located on its four wheels at that period when it would be otherwise thrown from the track by its velocity by its tendency to fly outward.

The track 14 as will -be seen in the drawings is provided with ties 15 and supported by brackets 16 from the uprights 10 and in order to more effectually hold the car on the track during its movement through the structure a third rail 17 is provided between the two rails of the track 14 and slightly elevated above them.

The car 18 carries a wheel 19 depending from its bottom and having a groove to fit the rail 17. This wheel 19 may be so adjusted as to effectually lock the car to the rails of the track so as to have it at all times effectually secured and in no case permit it to leave the track. After the track 14 leaves the structure from the inside it may run around the same for any distance in order p to lengthen the ride and to receive passengers when it may be carried to an elevator 20 and lifted to the platform 11 and at the top of the course for the next trip. This elevator is of ordinary construction and may be run by any motive power that may be found desirable or if found necessary an incline structure 21 may be built in the course and the cars may be carried up the same by any desired elevating means.

The cars may be of any desired shape and pattern but preferably in imitation of an automobile as shown in Fig. 3 and the passengers may be taken on at any point where the rails are laid on the surface of the ground. i

It is obvious that various modifications may be made to the device in addition to those enumerated above without departing from the essential features herein described such as the variation of the design of the car, the elevating means and certain additions to the funnel shaped structure for the purpose of 'ornamenting same. Electrical lights may be arranged within the interior and the exterior and various colors may be given to the lights by closing and opening various electric circuits as the car passes over the track. A canopy may be arranged over the device having cloud effects likewise various fancy effects may be produced within the space at the upper end of the structure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an amusement device the combination of a structure of a funnel shape. of a track of substantially spiral shape running down the interior of the structure and inclined from the horizontal to a substantially vertical position asp it proceeds towards the bottom of the structure, a safety JOHN w. BOURKE.

Witnesses \VILLIAM H. JOHNSON, ROBERT D. RIANO. 

